|   | Forum: Complete - Homelands |
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 asarkila
Single Player
ari.sarkilahti gmail.com
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 Wed Jun 8, 2005 11:53 am Post subject: Level analysis |
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| I've played a lot of Homelands lately and I have run across some pretty awful levels and I would like to hear what levels you guys find bad/annoying etc.
Don't get me wrong, Homelands is a great levelset but even the most perfect things in life usually have some minor flaws in them.
Worst
Level 11: Luck luck luck, this is like keeping lottery contests in the olympics, except you could try it a ziliion but even that doesn't guarantee anything.
Level 48: Absolutely the worst, difficult flick manouvering combined with lots and lots of luck, always a losing combination. One of the most annoying levels ever. Sometimes I wish I could just beat the crap out of that one certain alien.
Level 49: Not nearly as bad as 48 but pretty annoying nevertheless.
Level 64: Maybe this shouldn't be on the list. Actually I don't consider this a level at all. I think of Homelands as a levelset of 80 levels instead of 81 as it was intended.
Most mysterious
Level 13: There's a very high scoring secret in this level and it's pretty cool that a level this old and much played can have such a secret. Even more so when most of the top players haven't figured it out
Level 32: Another one that I don't get.
Best
Lots of good levels, just a few of the good ones: 1,70,80 but there are many others.
Seems that in my book the luck levels don't get much credit. A small luck-factor is always welcome but the more the worse IMHO. |
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 seb
Single Player
drsebfree.fr
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| Wed Jun 8, 2005 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote (asarkila): | | I've played a lot of Homelands lately and I have run across some pretty awful levels and I would like to hear what levels you guys find bad/annoying etc. |
Well, I must say I've been more than impressed by your amazing progression in Homelands.
Taking a 10,000 points lead to Wil is ... wow  can't find words.
Anyway, I'm happy to be close, but afraid that I can't make it back to the top.
| Quote (asarkila): | | Level 11: Luck luck luck, this is like keeping lottery contests in the olympics, except you could try it a ziliion but even that doesn't guarantee anything. |
Yes I tried a bit this year, but coudn't get close to the top... But even worse is level 8:
I tried this one over 1000 times I think and couldn't get that extra tick! You're lone leader there, lucky man 
| Quote (asarkila): | | Level 48: Absolutely the worst, difficult flick manouvering combined with lots and lots of luck, always a losing combination. One of the most annoying levels ever. Sometimes I wish I could just beat the crap out of that one certain alien. |
Holy shit. How could you save TWO extra ticks on this one??? I figured one more
was possible (and did it quickly in fact). But I'm hopeless for more.
| Quote (asarkila): | | Level 13: There's a very high scoring secret in this level and it's pretty cool that a level this old and much played can have such a secret. Even more so when most of the top players haven't figured it outLevel 32: Another one that I don't get. |
I have no idea either... can't get other bugs, or extra blue gems... but also for level 26. But maybe these will be future surprises?
| Quote (asarkila): | | Lots of good levels, just a few of the good ones: 1,70,80 but there are many others.Seems that in my book the luck levels don't get much credit. A small luck-factor is always welcome but the more the worse IMHO. |
And what about level 68? I'm quite happy I could improve there . Maybe a revenge for the other 781-pts-unimprovable-level?  I'm curious to see how long (and hard) it'll take for you to strike back.
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asarkila
Single Player
ari.sarkilahtigmail.com
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| Thu Jun 9, 2005 7:17 am Post subject: |
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| Quote (seb): | | Quote (asarkila): | | I've played a lot of Homelands lately and I have run across some pretty awful levels and I would like to hear what levels you guys find bad/annoying etc. |
Well, I must say I've been more than impressed by your amazing progression in Homelands.
Taking a 10,000 points lead to Wil is ... wow can't find words.
Anyway, I'm happy to be close, but afraid that I can't make it back to the top.
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You are so close and making progress every day that anything is possible.
| Quote (seb): |
| Quote (asarkila): | | Level 11: Luck luck luck, this is like keeping lottery contests in the olympics, except you could try it a ziliion but even that doesn't guarantee anything. |
Yes I tried a bit this year, but coudn't get close to the top... But even worse is level 8:
I tried this one over 1000 times I think and couldn't get that extra tick! You're lone leader there, lucky man
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Yes, I propably should have added that one, but since I haven't played it in a while I didn't think of it as annoying, but your right, I'm VERY lucky on this one.
| Quote (seb): |
| Quote (asarkila): | | Level 48: Absolutely the worst, difficult flick manouvering combined with lots and lots of luck, always a losing combination. One of the most annoying levels ever. Sometimes I wish I could just beat the crap out of that one certain alien. |
Holy shit. How could you save TWO extra ticks on this one??? I figured one more
was possible (and did it quickly in fact). But I'm hopeless for more.
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Actually I was suprised myself that I managed to save two ticks because I thought I was saving one. But I was very happy to get two instead, believe you me  Hopefully I don't ever have to play this level again.
| Quote (seb): |
| Quote (asarkila): | | Level 13: There's a very high scoring secret in this level and it's pretty cool that a level this old and much played can have such a secret. Even more so when most of the top players haven't figured it outLevel 32: Another one that I don't get. |
I have no idea either... can't get other bugs, or extra blue gems... but also for level 26. But maybe these will be future surprises?
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I'm pretty happy that I figured 26 out but I'm sure it won't last.
| Quote (seb): |
| Quote (asarkila): | | Lots of good levels, just a few of the good ones: 1,70,80 but there are many others.Seems that in my book the luck levels don't get much credit. A small luck-factor is always welcome but the more the worse IMHO. |
And what about level 68? I'm quite happy I could improve there . Maybe a revenge for the other 781-pts-unimprovable-level? I'm curious to see how long (and hard) it'll take for you to strike back.
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I had a gut feeling about 68 not being solved yet and you proved my gut right  I'm surely gonna take a look at this and hopefully can better my score. Nice one seb.
Shame that Wil isn't competing with us at the moment but I'm sure he'll be back so let's enjoy this while it lasts |
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asarkila
Single Player
ari.sarkilahtigmail.com
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| Thu Jun 9, 2005 8:15 am Post subject: |
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Okay, I got level 68. I like bomb levels a lot, thanks seb for finding this, it was fun to try to come up with the solution. Fun fun fun
Is this optimal ?  |
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seb
Single Player
drsebfree.fr
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| Thu Jun 9, 2005 11:57 am Post subject: |
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| Quote (asarkila): | | Okay, I got level 68. I like bomb levels a lot, thanks seb for finding this, it was fun to try to come up with the solution. Fun fun fun Is this optimal ? |
I'm glad I coud pionneer this new milestone. But it hardly took you half a day to equal it... sigh 
I'll call this new score optimal until someone else proves me wrong. But maybe Wil is able to save 6 more ticks? At least there is not much luck involved here, except one rock-push.
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asarkila
Single Player
ari.sarkilahtigmail.com
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| Thu Jun 9, 2005 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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I would also think that this is optimal. My gut isn't saying anything now, so maybe it is
68 was pretty easy once I knew what was possible since there were only a few places that could possibly be done faster. The problem with levels that don't require luck is that there ultimately is an optimal score and once that is achieved the level is of no use. Luckily bd4 is such a great game that to get optimal scores one still has to think a lot and try out different things. I still think that the most pleasing methods are those that manage to reduce level's luck factor significantly or even remove it completely. Also when a player comes more skilled and learns the more advanced moving manouvers these skills can sometimes help you do things that remove the luck factor completely. What a great game ! |
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 Dirkimops
Single Player
dirkimopsgmx.de
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| Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote (asarkila): | | Level 11: Luck luck luck, this is like keeping lottery contests in the olympics, except you could try it a ziliion but even that doesn't guarantee anything. |
I agree to that, and I also agree to Seb's opinion about level 8. If the main factor of getting a good score in a level is luck I don't like that level. I don't see any sense in starting a level 1000 times only to get a chance to have a good score. So I personally would add level 54 to that list, too.
But the level I dislike most is level 75.
Most mysterious
Level 13 is also a mystery to me. But well, that doesn't count much as I still have to find out a "secret" even in level 9, so never mind. On the other hand it's also a mystery to me how quickly some levels can be finished by some of you professionals, for example 56 or 74.
Best
I like levels most where maybe a bit luck is involved but where you can get better by practising or finding some new methods.
So levels I like very much are 5, 12, 24, 61 and 65. But maybe other chaotic levels will follow. |
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 Wil
Single Player
wilamristar.com.au
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| Sat Jun 11, 2005 12:42 am Post subject: |
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| Wow. I am scared. I'm back Monday and will look then, but it seems I've been completely blown out of the water and it will take a lot of effort to get back. By the books (with the new ticks, etc) I haven't been number one for about 5 years and it's not clear that I'll ever get back there. Still, I made to game for competition so I shouldn't complain.
At a breaky after 3 hours sleep... so better be social! 75 is my most disliked too.... I'm just not fast enough to react and rolling the dice here would be insane!! The levels just aren't meant to be so perfected!! Level 64 was made by a friend and would be better if there was a wheel in the bottom right and perhaps a bonus (or negative for exittime or something). I'm stuck with level 7!! I need new methods..... |
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